Sheil Kapadia

Philly.com

Drew Rosenhaus says the Eagles are one of three teams that have shown interest in his client, veteran safety Yeremiah Bell.

According to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald, Rosenhaus appeared on a weekly TV segment on WSVN Ch. 7 and said the Eagles, Jets and Patriots have expressed some level of interest in Bell.

Bell, 34, started 63 of 64 games for the Dolphins from 2008-2011. A sixth-round pick out of Eastern Kentucky in 2003, he went from the practice squad to the starting lineup (75 games in eight seasons) to the Pro Bowl in 2009.

Considered more of an in-the-box safety, Bell led the Dolphins in tackles in each of the past four seasons. He was third among all NFL safeties last year with 107 tackles.

According to Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, Bell, a team captain, was a trusted veteran in the locker room.

So why did the Dolphins let him go?

The primary reason appears to be for cap space. But Salguero writes that Miami wants its safeties to be interchangeable, and Bell has limitations in coverage. The Eagles, of course, should be familiar with Bell's strengths and weaknesses. New secondary coach Todd Bowles directed the Dolphins' defensive backs from 2008-2011 before becoming Miami's interim head coach.

As for the safeties currently on the roster, Nate Allen finished strong in 2011 and will likely be penciled in at one safety spot. If the price is right, Bell could be brought in to compete with Jaiquawn Jarrett and Kurt Coleman at the other spot. After seeing limited action as a rookie, Jarrett faces an important offseason, but has to be considered a question mark at this point.

The Eagles have not made any moves at safety so far in free agency. Some mock drafts have them taking Alabama's Mark Barron in the first round, although I consider that unlikely. A better option, from my perspective, would be to add a veteran (like Bell) as insurance for Jarrett.

As always, take Rosenhaus' comments with a grain of salt. It's his job to stir up interest for his client. But in this case, it makes sense for the Eagles to at least look into Bell.